Robust Kalman filter design for predictive wind shear detection

Severe low-altitude wind shear is a threat to aviation safety. Newly developed airborne sensors measure the radial component of wind along a line directly in front of an aircraft. The authors use optimal estimation theory to define a detection algorithm to warn of hazardous wind shear from these sensors. To achieve robustness, a wind shear detection algorithm must distinguish threatening wind shear from less hazardous gustiness, despite variations in wind shear structure. Statistical analysis methods to refine wind shear detection algorithm robustness are presented. Computational methods predict the ability to warn of severe wind shear and avoid false warning. Comparative capability of the detection algorithm as a function of its design parameters is determined, identifying designs that provide robust detection of severe wind shear     

A study on thin walled intersecting spheres

Intersecting spheres are useful in the design of pressure vessels for weight limited situations as in the case of space or ocean applications. This paper treats the general problem of N intersecting spheres demonstrating that mass reduction can be achieved in relation to the single sphere that encloses the same internal volume. It is shown that this reduction approaches asymptotically the value of 39.5%.     

Coarse attitude determination from Earth albedo measurements

Attitude estimation algorithms for the Thrusted Vector Mission which determine attitude based on Sun sensor and very coarse albedo sensor measurements are presented. On the basis of these measurements, it has been demonstrated by comparison with more accurate gyro-based attitude that it is possible to estimate three-axis attitude with an average error per axis of 11 deg. Most of this error is about the Sun direction. Both deterministic quick-look and optimal estimates are examined     

A large-scale perspective on ecosystems.

Interactions between ecological elements must be better understood in order to construct an ecological life support system in space. An index was devised to describe the complexity of material cyclings within a given ecosystem. It was then applied to the cyclings of bioelements in various systems of material cyclings including the whole Earth and national economies. The results show interesting characteristics of natural and man-made systems.     

Adaptive Forward Error Control for Digital Satellite Systems

Two hybrid schemes of time-frequency resource sharing to increase the rain margin of Ku-and Ka-band satellite systems are proposed. Scheme 1 requires sharing a small pool of bandwidth for adaptive forward error control coding, sharing a small pool of time frame for rate reduction, and sharing a portion of low frequency time-division multiple access (TDMA) back-up frame for downlink transmission to the rain affected stations. Scheme 2 utilizes variable rate modulation and forward error correction, shares a small pool of time frame for rate reduction, and shares a portion of low frequency TDMA back-up frame. Effective usable capacities of the system using these schemes are calculated. Distribution of resources in order to maximize the effective usable capacity is also analyzed. The results obtained are compared with other adaptive schemes. Preliminary analysis shows that the utilized capacity of scheme 1 exceeds 99 percent of the effective usable capacity possible if it never rains for an outage of 0.05 percent and fade margin of 2.5 dB. For scheme 2 similar performance is achievable at a fade margin of 1.5 dB. For higher outage objectives the loss of effective utilized capacity is higher for scheme 2.     

Chromosome instability of HPRT-mutant subclones induced by ionising radiation of various LET.

The induction of HPRT-mutations and survival of Chinese hamster cells (line B11ii-FAF28, clone 431) were studied after irradiation by 4He and 12C-ions of various LET (20-360 keV/micrometers), produced by the U-200 heavy ion accelerator. The RBE increases with LET up to the maximum at 100-200 keV/micrometers and then decreases. Cytogenetic analysis was performed on the HPRT-mutant subclones selected from unirradiated Chinese hamster V-79 cells and from HPRT-mutant subclones that arose after exposure to gamma-rays, 1 GeV protons and 14N-ions (LET-77 keV/micrometers), produced by the synchrophasotron and the U-400M heavy ion accelerator. Slow growing mutant subclones were observed. The cytogenetic properties of individual clones were highly heterogeneous and chromosome instability was observed in both spontaneous and radiation-induced mutants. Chromosome instability was highest among spontaneous mutants and decreased with increasing LET.     

Ginga observations of Seyfert galaxies

We observed twenty-eight Seyfert 2 galaxies with the Japanese X-ray satellite, Ginga, and found Seyfert 2 galaxies, in general, have the X-ray spectral characteristics of obscured Seyfert 1 nuclei. This result agrees with the predictions from Unified Seyfert model proposed by Antonucci and Miller /1/. However, among the observed Seyfert 2 galaxies, there are a few galaxies with no evidence of an obscuration, contrary to the general predictions of the unified model. We note that type 2 AGN will contribute to the Cosmic Diffuse X-ray Background, if the unified Seyfert model can be extended to the far distant AGN such as quasars.     

Controlled solar sail transfers into the near-sun orbits

We present results of numerical simulations of trajectories of a space probe with a flat solar sail which moves from a circular Earth orbit to near-Sun regions. We consider the upper limit of the sail temperature as the basic restriction. We also examine the planar (ecliptic) solar sail transfer with gravity-assist flybys around planets.     

The SOHO CELIAS/SEM EUV database from SC23 minimum to the present

The SOHO Solar EUV Monitor has been in operation since December 1995 onboard the SOHO spacecraft. This instrument is a highly stable transmission grating solar extreme ultraviolet spectrometer. It has made nearly continuous full disk solar irradiance measurements both within an 8 nm bandpass centered at 30.4 nm and throughout the 0.1 to 50 nm solar flux region since launch. The 30.4 nm flux, the 0.1 to 50 nm flux and the extracted soft X-ray (0.1 to 5 nm) flux are presented and compared with the behavior of solar proxies.     

Analysis of radiation risk from alpha particle component of solar particle events.

The solar particle events (SPE) will contain a primary alpha particle component, representing a possible increase in the potential risk to astronauts during an SPE over the often studied proton component. We discuss the physical interactions of alpha particles important in describing the transport of these particles through spacecraft and body shielding. Models of light ion reactions are presented and their effects on energy and linear energy transfer (LET) spectra in shielding discussed. We present predictions of particle spectra, dose, and dose equivalent in organs of interest for SPE spectra typical of those occurring in recent solar cycles. The large events of solar cycle 19 are found to have substantial increase in biological risk from alpha particles, including a large increase in secondary neutron production from alpha particle breakup.